The Ins and Outs of Wakasa Bay

At zoomed-out scale (from space! Wakasa Bay is an indent on the Sea of Japan coast. Having not previously zoomed-in, I'd assumed it would be a continuous bay and easy to sail. In fact, it is an indented coastline with many peninsulas and deep inlets. That's much more challenging. It was a rewarding section and one I will look back on fondly.

Stage one - to Shiraki, at the end of the Tsuruga Peninsula. Arrive with the beginnings of a stomach complaint, and with a board drinking seawater. Say goodbye to Yumiko who goes on ahead to Kinosaki-onsen where she has a job at a local hotel. Stay an extra day to patch up the board.

Stage two - Windless. I feel weak, sick and dizzy, but paddle to inside the next inlet where at least there is a shop to buy supplies in case the illness becomes more debilitating. Lots of plankton in the sea. In places it is like paddling through soup. The waves glow at night where they roll onto the beach. Take the next day off. 24 hours later I am feeling much better.

Stage three - Very light wind and a metre of swell. Potentially a good day if I can do the zigzags to reach the end of the peninsula, from where the wind direction will be helpful. A wind that becomes ever weaker makes it a hard slog to reach the end. The roll of the swells robs the last remnants of wind from the sail. I pump the sail continually to reach the apex. Magnificent once there. Not a tetrapod in sight. Majestic cliffs. Bright sunshine. A rounding to remember. Better breeze for the first part of the downhill makes for a few easy miles with speeds of 7 knots when the roll of the waves is helping. Soon after, the wind softens again, and now when the waves push the sail is powerless. Balance requires considerable effort, and my insides which are still not fully untwisted after sickness are in knots again. A big lump of land climbs 600 metres out of the sea and reminds me of Galicia's iconic (San Andrés de Teixido) cliffs. I stay well to seaward but the rebound of the swell is still felt a mile out. Lighthouses at the mouth of Obama Bay look tiny. I don't want to go in there, and then have to get back out again... I continually pump the sail and scoop air all the way to Wakasa Wada, where there is a beautiful sandy bay. Objective achieved! There is a konbini. I camp under the cherry trees which are now in full blossom.

Stage four - Yesterday's efforts in theory line me up with a flow of breeze that will carry me to the next headland and then beyond to the far side of Wakasa Bay. The day begins rainy, then clears. An offshore wind ripples the water and I head out to where various winds mill but none predominate. Soon the air goes still, but this flat sea is a different world to yesterday, so I can fully enjoy the scenery as I paddle towards the end of today's outcrop. From there I make a 10 mile crossing that bypasses the remaining ins and outs. I see a few fishing boats, a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship departs from the ria, and then I hook into the promised wind to complete the crossing. Soon after, a thunderstorm arrives, bringing rain and strong headwinds. I am fortunate to have a small port handy where I detour into for shelter. The squall is short-lived. I scrape another mile and call it a day at Tomari. Here I meet Kyosé-san (Yasumasa Watanabe), who is unusually curious and talkative. His little dog is unusually open and unperturbed, too (and will later be an excellent ankle warmer). Kyosé-san helps me move the gear to a safe spot. Then he offers a shower - and that becomes a place to sleep, food, and a beer or a few. My new friend is a sculptor and artist. Home and studio are the same thing. Sharing the space are bronze droid-like beings emerging from chrysalises, abstract oils, and sketches. Kyosé-san likes art and alcohol. I like scraping round the next corner, and can barely tolerate half a beer. We are poles apart but not so different: those who have an ounce of kindness within share a lot with most folk.

Stage five - Evidently, I can't tolerate half a beer. A cooked breakfast helps. Two hours later I go afloat. Wellness returns as I zigzag upwind for 5 nm. Pleasant conditions. Probably a curl of current is helping progress to the final corner of Wakasa Bay. I pump my way past the kink, and the breeze stops shortly beyond. The sea is flat, so I paddle a few miles, and then add five more when some wind arrives at the end of the day.

To bring us up to date, the next sail I crossed from Kyoto-ken to Hyogo-ken in very agreeable conditions. I stopped at Kinosaki-onsen (an "onsen town") because this is where Yumiko has a job. It is a pleasant, tourist honeypot type town, and very different to my usual stops. In the north of Japan the little coastal towns and villages are ALL about fishing. Here, tourism is a real thing.

My friend Ben has made a visit. We connected after he read In The Balance and sent a message to suggest that I windsurf round Japan. I have a lot to blame and thank him for. There was heavy rain for most of the day but we had an excellent time regardless, with a camp breakfast, a walk where we got drenched, and - of course - an onsen to warm up after. Ben speaks excellent Japanese and knows a lot about the culture and history of Japan. He was impressed by the local architecture, and commented that the sakura (cherry blossom) drifting through town in the river deserved a haiku. Ben, here is my submission (imagine the sun was out!):

Sakura clouds
Parasols for lazy koi
Meander downstream